I Want You for Forever
by Johanna-002
Summary: Set in PD2 when Clarisse rejects Joseph's proposal. "I don't want your crown; I don't want your money or your power. I just want you. Hell, Clarisse, we could live under a damn rock for all I care. I just want you. I want you for tonight, and tomorrow and forever." Clarisse & Joseph! Please Read and Review! Complete!


**Title: **I Want You for Forever

**Summary: **Set in PD2 when Clarisse rejects Joseph's proposal. "I don't want your crown; I don't want your money or your power. I just want you. Hell, Clarisse, we could live under a damn rock for all I care. I just want you. I want you for tonight, and tomorrow and forever."

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Princess Diaries or Princess Diaries 2: Royal engagement or any of its characters; they belong Meg Cabot. I do however own my writing, please don't steal- Johanna002©

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-01-

_Joseph smiled as he spun around with the love of his life. "Have you been thinking about us?" he asked softly. _

_Sure. It wasn't the most romantic phrase, but it was the best he could come up with. It was hard to think of anything else other than spending forever with her; especially when she fit so perfectly against him- so naturally. _

_"Yes…I have." The words tasted bitter on her tongue. Almost like vomit. She couldn't look up. She couldn't face him. _

_Joseph halted their movements. Was she joking? When she began to tremble, it became real. There was never going to be a forever_

_"I see…if you'll excuse me…" He needed to get out of there and away from her as fast as possible. _

_The tears began to surface. Her heart felt as if it were made of glass- it shattered into so many pieces. _

_"No! No, Joseph…you had to know what I was going to say." She pleaded with him frantically, "I…Mia needs me now more than ever before. It's the monarchy. As Queen it's my responsibility…you know how it is."_

_How many times had she used that excuse? When would he- they- ever come first to her? _

_Let her go._

_"You were never just my Queen, Clarisse…you were the someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with…" He whispered hoarsely. She needed to know. Even if she didn't care, even if she would never ever return his love for her-She needed to know that it was always her. That it would always be her. _

"_But…if you prefer that I see you first and foremost as my Queen…then I shall oblige." Joseph looked to her with heavy, sorrowful eyes. _

_All he wanted was for her to be happy… even if it wasn't he who made her happy._

"_Joseph!"_

"_Your Majesty…" the words left his lips in a mere whisper. He turned on his heel and pushed though the pain. He walked away, pushing roughly by the frilly curtain that hung on the opened door._

X-X-X

Her face was beat red, her eyes were watery and her nose was becoming runny. Clarisse brought her intertwined hands to come up and rest above her heart. She was hurting. She could literally feel her heart crumbling inside of her.

Angrily she slapped the CD player off. Her breathing was becoming a bit erratic and a great amount of pressure was settling itself inside of her head; a black shadow of broken on her heart.

Clarisse took several deep breaths. Joseph had always advised her to do so when she was feeling stressed.

_"Just close your eyes, and breathe."_ He would say.

"Your Majesty!" Charlotte called. "May I have Prince Mia come join you now to go over the wedding de-"

"No. No" Clarisse cut her off quickly. She was in no mood to speak with neither Charlotte nor Mia. She didn't want to see anyone. "I- I… Princess Mia doesn't need... Not now Charlotte!"

A few seconds of silence passed. Charlotte skeptically asked, "Did you wish for dinner to be served in the dinning-"

"No!" Clarisse yelled. "Please! I just want one second to myself."

A moment passed, and as soon as the words had left Clarisse's lips she felt even more disgusted with herself.

"Charlotte," she called softly. "I- I'm sorry… I'll get something from the kitchen later."

Since she had only been steps away- hiding behind the pillar, Charlotte had heard everything that transpired between Her Majesty and Joseph.

Sadly, Charlotte whispered to her Queen, "I understand, your majesty…"

Clarisse watched as Charlotte disappeared once more behind the pillars and into the dusky gray shadow of the hall way.

"No Charlotte. You don't… There's no way you could."

X-X-X

Broken, bruised, betrayed,

Joseph sighed deeply. Here he was, sitting under a tree in one of Genovia's community parks. He had taken Clarisse to this park a few times. They would walk the trail, sometimes disappear into the wooded area just to explore.

He smiled. They explored more than just the landscape.

Leaning his head back, Joseph's eyes closed in sync. He wished to just disappear; that maybe all the hurt would vanish.

Was he supposed to go on like nothing ever happened? Pretend that he never loved her, that he wasn't hurting?

His breath hitched a few times, and he wiped the stray tears that trickled down his cheeks.

No. He couldn't do that. He and Clarisse spent years developing their relationship. She meant too much to him to toss what they had in the burner, to treat her like nothing.

He wondered what it was. They had spent nearly twenty-eight years developing what they had, until the last five years their relationship hadn't been anything more than friendship. But still, that was a lot of time- a lot of memories.

Joseph glanced at his phone. It was nearing eleven. It hadn't felt like he'd been out that long… it wasn't long enough. His heart still ached. He honestly wanted nothing more than to shake some common sense into Clarisse.

She had never seemed like the kind to care about social statuses but maybe she was as stuck up and cold as the other women in the life of luxury.

The thought fled his mind quickly. Clarisse wasn't like that. She had willingly helped him through one of the darkest years of his life. She'd put him back together.

Joseph had been married for nearly seventeen years. He and Amalia, his wife, had a wonderful marriage and three grown, beautiful children. However, Amalia had been murdered eleven years ago.

Joseph squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out the memory of going home to their flat to see her in the kitchen; her skit bunched up, blouse ripped and panties torn. She was bleeding from multiple stab wounds to the chest and there was bruising on her neck from where the bastard, one of her colleagues from the bank she worked at, had choked her to death. Amalia had been raped repeatedly and had died of strangulation. Most of the stab wounds were post mortem.

Clarisse had helped him trough her death, and through the trial of Jared Manent; who was found guilty of rape and murder in the first degree.

She was his shoulder to lean on, his ear to talk to. She had helped both him and his children get on with their lives.

Six years later he'd repaid the favor when she lost both her husband and youngest son. He had then been her shoulder to cry on and her ear to talk to.

Joseph shook his head. There was no way he could cast her aside and forget everything they had been through together.

But, he needed to leave. He needed to move on and maybe, maybe when he was stronger he could come back.

He would always love Clarisse.

But, right now, he needed to love her from a distance.

X-X-X

A whimper escaped from her lips, her forehead resting against the glass of a window. Tears trickled down her cheeks. They were coming so fast, so harsh; she didn't have the strength nor the will to wipe them away.

What was the point? She felt so broken, so alone. She felt cold and useless. Why had she done it?

Why!

Joseph wasn't saying to marry him that very second. She could have accepted his proposal, wait until after Amelia's wedding to announce their engagement and wait till after the coronation to plan their wedding.

Hell, to be honest. She had no strength to plan another wedding, and she knew Joseph well enough to know that he would have been happy with going down to city hall… she would have been happy with that too.

They would have had forever.

But now, they would have nothing. And for what; she knew she loved him, wanted to marry him. So why did she say no?

Oh her head hurt, her eyes hurt, her heat hurt… She was hurting. Pulling herself together as best as she could, she tried to calm her reddening face- wiping the tears from her cheeks and trying to clear up the slight smudges of her make up.

"I need a drink"

X-X-X

Joseph entered the kitchen in search of a drink. He froze when he saw Clarisse.

"Fuck," He whispered quietly. Walking further into the kitchen he tried his best to avoid making eye contact with her. If he looked into those dazzling blue orbs of hers, he'd be over- He'd be at her feet begging her to reconsider.

Clarisse knew he was there. She always knew. When you're so in love with someone, your body becomes accustomed to theirs. Your soul will recognize its mate.

"Where have you been?" She asked quietly.

Joseph looked at her. She wasn't his wife. She didn't want to be. Why was she questioning him?

"I- I went to your room." She said quietly, after his piercing gaze made her realize how her question sounded. "I wanted to talk to you, Joseph."

"Clarisse,"

"Joseph, please," She begged. "Just talk to me, please."

Joseph rummaged around in the cabinets. She was drinking wine. He needed something stronger. Tequila.

"I have nothing to say to you, Clarisse."

Clarisse adverted her gaze to the napkin in her hand, Joseph watched her, his eyes closing in pain as he heard her sniffle and watched as the tears began to fall from her eyes; gliding down her cheeks like rain drops do a window.

He downed his shot. Pushing the alcohol away he turned to leave. Joseph would rather eat his gun before submitting himself to the pain of watching her cry.

"Joseph!" She cried. "Please! I love you. I am head over heals, completely in love with you. Please… Don't leave me."

Joseph turned back to look at her. "Prove it. Marry me."

Clarisse cried even harder.

"I don't want your crown; I don't want your money or your power. I just want you. Hell, Clarisse, we could live under a damn rock for all I care. I just want you. I want you for tonight, and tomorrow and forever."

"I'll marry you." She breathed. "I will. I will. I'll marry you."

Joseph looked at her skeptically. She rushed over to him. "I don't want to lose you. I love you. I want you for forever too. I'll marry you, Joseph. I'll marry you. I love you. Dear God, Joseph, I love you."

X-X-X

_"Your Majesty…the Princess would like a word." Charlotte smiled, hoping that the Princess had thought of a way to fix things between Her Majesty and Joseph._

_She took the small piece that Charlotte handed her, but truly had no idea what to do with it. She turned in a circle as she tried to think of what to say. "Oh…ummm…"_

_"Grandma?" The whispered voice of her granddaughter could be heard through the device. She took a step towards her, forgetting that Charlotte was attached._

_"Just because I didn't get my fairytale ending…doesn't mean you shouldn't."_

_Clarisse was momentarily stunned. What in heaven's name did that mean? "Did you hear that?" she asked Charlotte. She needed advice, and she needed it now!_

_In a very typical Charlotte fashion, she replied very seriously, "Not if you didn't want me to."_

_Clarisse couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, Charlotte!"_

"_Joseph." Clarisse called shakily, taking a deep breath. The night previous she had agreed to marry Joseph. Why not surprise him and save herself the trouble of planning another elaborate wedding. They could get married here. Today!_

"_Your Majesty."_

"_Dear Joseph…"_

_Was it his imagination or had her voice taken on a more personal tone. There were people here…_

_No…it was only his imagination…wasn't it?_

"_Am I too late…to ask you…to accept my hand in marriage?" _

_That was when instinct took over. His mind was spinning wildly out of control and it took all of his considerable training to stay calm and match her reserved demeanor. He cleared his throat, hoping his voice would not betray him now. "Well I thought you would never ask."_

_He noticed her releasing the breath she had been holding and the relief flood her beautiful face. Rational thought was no longer present in his mind and just before the numbness from the shock totally ruled his brain, he took off his hat and earpiece and turned to his second in command. "Shades, you're in charge now. Good luck with Lionel." _

_Turning to face forward, standing next to the woman that he was to marry, he added quietly. "I'm going to a wedding." He lifted his arm to escort his bride to be and they began to walk down the aisle together._

_All of his focus was on the Archbishop and making it down the aisle without falling. He heard Clarisse making some comment to the people assembled at the church…that was her way of dealing with the nerves, retreating into his inner shell was his. She was used to the spotlight…he was not._

_"To forever" She said just loud enough for him to her. Joseph gave her a small smile._

_When they reached the front, her voice was strong as she made her request. "My Lord, Archbishop, I would like to take this man as my husband." Then much quieter, she added, "If you please…"_

_Joseph couldn't see Clarisse's face, but was certain that her shock at the Archbishop's response mirrored his own. _

"_Finally…"_

_Joseph only half heard what the Archbishop was saying, but when Sebastian pressed a ring into his hand, he knew what motions should come next. He took her hand, and noticed it was slightly trembling. He had no idea where the ring had come from…he assumed it was the band that Andrew was to give to Mia had their wedding gone as planned. He spoke the words he was expected to say, "With this ring, I thee…" he smiled at the Archbishop and then at his beautifully-complicated love, "finally…wed."_

"_I pronounce you man and wife." _

_He had waited so long to hear those words said to him. _

_"You may kiss the bride."_

_"To forever," he whispered, before softly catching her lips in a kiss._

**Author's Note: **Please Review?

The next chapter to "Enlightenment" should be up soon.


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